He Restoreth My Soul —Soul Wellness is biblical.

3 John 1:2

"Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well."

It burdens me to see how many believers spend their entire lives reading about The God who desires to give their soul rest, yet never fully embrace that rest. I was that believer.

There was a time in my life when my soul was so wounded that I couldn’t even conceive the idea of healing. It felt impossible to truly grasp—something distant, perhaps meant for others, but not for me. I was tired. Tired of being tired. Tired of seeing the world through the lenses of my brokenness.

The weight of life, coupled with my checkered past, disappointments, and unhealed hurts, had taken a toll on me. But then, one day, I came across the beautiful promise in Psalm 23:3: "He restoreth my soul." I remember reading those words and feeling a flicker of hope—a hope that maybe, just maybe, healing was possible for me too. It felt like a shot in the dark, but I was willing to learn about the God who restores. I was willing to let Him reveal Himself to me, I was willing to let Him show me the parts of me that I was afraid to see—the parts I had buried, the truths I’d tried to ignore, and the fears I’d avoided facing. 

I had tried everything else. I turned to all the methods and systems I thought might bring healing—secret vices, self-help books, even personal affirmations. Yet none of it was large enough, vast enough to fill the deep expanse of my voids. Nothing could touch the places in me that needed true restoration.

It wasn't until I surrendered my need to understand, my desire to know why it happened, or why me? I embraced bliss of my necessary ignorance, dived deep into a required nakedness, accepted my "sheep-like" nature, and fell at the feet of the Great Shepherd. You see, we have a role to play in our soul restoration, and that role is to show up at God’s surgery table, uncovered, allowing Him to work in us. While it’s not impossible, it is rarely found in Scripture that God will force you into healing. Healing is often announced, but the hearer has the responsibility to submit to the process of the Great Physician—Jesus.

The Process of Soul Restoration:

1. Surrender is the First Step

You see, surrendering is the hardest part. I wanted healing, but I didn’t want to let go of my control. I wanted to fix everything on my own terms, but I learned that God’s ways are better than my own. I had to truly let go of my fears, my need for perfection, and my desire to control every outcome. Healing started when I finally acknowledged that I didn’t have to fix myself—I needed God to restore me. Surrendering my brokenness to Him allowed His healing power to do what I couldn’t. And that’s when the deep work began.

2. Trusting His Timing

I wanted things to happen quickly. I wanted immediate relief. But what I’ve learned through this process is that God’s timing is always perfect. Soul healing doesn’t happen overnight. It’s often a slow, unfolding. Psalm 23:3 says, “He restoreth my soul.” Notice it doesn’t say He fixes my soul—it says He restores it. Restoration takes time. It’s a process of rebuilding and renewing. It takes time to unravel deep inner beliefs, and replace them with God's incorruptible truth. Let God's pace be enough.

3. Embracing the Journey, Not Just the Destination

I’ve often been guilty of rushing to the “finish line” of my healing, thinking that once I got through this or that, I’d finally feel whole. But God began teaching me that the beauty of healing is found in the journey itself. It’s in the small steps, the quiet moments of surrender, and the soft realizations that you’re no longer where you once were. There’s nothing like the subtle joy you receive when a once-violent trigger becomes a simple, distant memory—or the power that comes from resting in your God-given identity, rather than striving for it, when you walk with Him. I’ll admit, the journey isn’t always pretty. There have been moments when it felt like I was taking two steps forward and one step back. But each step—no matter how messy or slow—has been a part of God’s perfect restoration process.

4. The Power of Prayer and God’s Word

I found that in my brokenness, prayer became my lifeline. I began to cry out to God, not with the polished, perfect prayers I thought I should pray, but with raw, honest conversations. "God, I’m hurting. I don’t know how to heal. Please restore me." Those simple prayers opened the door for God’s peace to enter, even in the chaos of my soul.

Scripture also became a balm for my wounds. Verses like Psalm 147:3, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds,” reminded me that God sees my pain and is actively healing me. The more I immersed myself in God’s Word, the more I felt His love and His presence wrapping around my brokenness.

5. Forgiveness: Letting Go of the Past

One of the toughest things I had to face on this journey was forgiveness. Not just forgiving others, but forgiving myself. For so long, I held onto guilt and shame. I couldn’t move forward because I was tethered to my past mistakes. But I found that forgiveness is a crucial part of healing. In Ephesians 4:32, we’re told to “be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Forgiveness didn’t come easily, but it was the key to releasing the hold that past hurts had on me. It was like taking a weight off my chest. I had to accept that God’s grace was greater than my guilt and that His forgiveness was freely given to me, just as I was.

The Ongoing Process of Healing

The truth is, healing is ongoing. There’s no “finish line” where I can say, “I’m done now.” Soul wellness is a continual process of surrendering, trusting, and receiving God’s grace. Every day, I have to remind myself that I am not defined by my past or my wounds. I am defined by His love for me. And I have to make space in my heart to continue receiving His healing touch. It’s a beautiful, humbling journey—one that I don’t walk alone. God is walking with me, restoring me, and I know He’s doing the same for you.

Conclusion: He is Restoring You Too

If you find yourself in a place of brokenness or weariness, I want you to know that healing is possible. It may not happen all at once, but little by little, as you surrender to God, He will restore your soul. Trust in His process. Trust that He sees you, He loves you, and He is working to make you whole again.

You don’t have to fix yourself. You don’t have to carry the weight of your past. He is restoring you, and all He asks is that you let Him.

Sincerely,

-Your Coach J ❤️‍🔥